Outdoor furniture construction

ABSTRACT

Outdoor furniture comprising seat and/or back frames with plastic straps attached to bars or rails which are attached to side members of frame inside the frame.

United States Patent Hermanson OUTDOOR FURNITURE CONSTRUCTION [75] Inventor: Lloyd II. Hermanson, Chula Vista,

Calif,

[73] Assignee: John Hancock Furniture Manufacturing Co., San Diego, Calif.

22 Filed: Feb. 19, 1971 21 App1.N0.: 116,935

[52] US. Cl. 5/191, 5/112, 5/236,

297/377, 297/452 [51] Int. Cl. A45f 1/00, A470 4/02 [58] Field of Search 297/377, 452;

1 June 12, 1973 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,871,926 2/1954 Haschke 160/369 3,107,944 10/1963 Bacrmann 1 1 1 1 1 297/452 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 927,405 4/1955 Germany 5/191 Primary ExaminerCasmir A/Nunberg AttorneyGregg, Hendricson & Caplan [57] ABSTRACT Outdoor furniture comprising seat and/or back frames with plastic straps attached to bars or rails which are attached to side members of frame inside the frame.

4 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTED 2W 3. 737 926 INVENTOR. LLOYD H. HERMANSON BY ,JLAWMJQ OUTDOOR FURNITURE CONSTRUCTION This invention relates to furniture construction. More particularly it relates to furniture intended to be used out of doors which is made of a wooden framework and which has plastic straps providing bottom support and back support, such straps being extending between side members of the framework.

In the construction of furniture of this character a problem exists in providing a seat or bottom support and a back support which are comfortable and durable and which have a pleasant appearance. Many materials used for the purpose are subject to rather rapid deterioration on weathering and other materials, for example metal straps, are uncomfortable and/or unsightly.

It is an object of the present invention to provide improved furniture construction.

It is a further and particular object of the invention to provide outdoor furniture having plastic straps extending between side members of the main frame members, such straps being attractive in appearance and easy to install and providing-a durable and comfortable seating and back supporting structure.

The above and other objects will be apparent from the ensuing description and the appended claims.

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated by 'way of example in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is-a view in perspective of a chaise constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the back rest portion of the chaise of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view in cross section taken along the line 33 of FIG. 2 showingthe means by which the plastic straps are mounted;

FIG. 4A is an edge view, as seen from the left of FIG. 4B, of one of the mounting rails employed to anchor the straps;

FIG. 4B is a view in elevation of the same rail;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional view showing in detail how the straps are mounted on the frame members;

FIG. 6 is a similar fragmentary view showing an alternative means of mounting the straps; and

FIG. 7 is a view taken along the line 7-7 of FIG. 5.

Referring now to the drawings and first to FIG. 1 a chaise is shown and is generally designated by the reference numeral 10. It will be apparent that the principles ,of the invention are applicable to other items of furniture such as chairs, foot stools, benches and the like. The chaise 10 comprises a backrest 11 and a horizontal seating or reclining portion 12. The horizontal portion 12 comprises side frame members 13 and end frame members 15 and 16 which are secured together in rectangular arrangement by any suitable means. Legs 17 are provided at the front and legs 18 at the back on which wheels 19 are rotatably mounted as by means of axles 20 so that the chaise can be picked up. from the front end and wheeled about.

The back rest 11 comprises side frame members 26, an upper end frame member 27 and a lower end frame member 27a (the latter frame member is shown in FIG. 2). The lower ends of the side frame members 26 are rotatably connected to side frame members 14 of the seating portion 13 by means of pins 28. Diagonal supports 29 (one of which is shown in FIG. 1) are provided to support the back rest 11 in a suitably inclined position, each such member being suitably connected at its top to respective side member 26 of the back rest 11 and at its lower end to respective side member 14 of the seating portion 13. As shown the back rest is in a fixed inclined position but by means well known in the art, such as notched slots, the support members 29 may be adjustable so as to permit varying the angle of the back rest 11 from a horizontal position to a more nearly vertical position.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3 a strap arrangement is there shown and is illustrated with reference to the back rest 11. However this same strap arrangement and the same means of mounting it are applied to the seating portion 13. Aswill be seen straps 35 are provided, such being of any desired material, e.g., hard rubber,

heavy cloth or sheet metal but preferably they are of plastic construction and most advantageously they are constructed of a material such as a vinyl plastic which has certain stretching properties as described hereinafter. Polyvinyl chloride is a suitable plastic; it is easily stretched when heated and returns to its original dimension or dimensions upon cooling.

Referring more particularly .to FIG. 3 it will be seen that a mounting rail 36 is affixed-to each of the sideframe members 26 and spaced somewhat therefrom. Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 4A, each of the mounting rails 36 has a flat, platelike body portion 37 and extending from one edge thereof are hooks 39 each having a curved end 39a. Mounting holes 38 are provided in the body portion 37.

Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 7 it will be seen that each of the side members 26 is formed with sockets 41, one of which is shown in FIG. 5, to receive dowels 42 which are anchored in place by means of a suitable glue such as a phenolformaldehyde glue. Associated with each of the dowels 42 is a cap screw 43 which extends through one of the holes 38 in the mounting rail 36 and is threaded into the dowel as shown. As shown in FIG. 7 each end of each strap 35 is formed with a hole 44 which fits over the curved end portion 39a of the respective book 39. Each end of each strap is thus an chored so that the strap is firmly supported at both ends and spans the distance between the rails 36.

An alternative and preferred construction is shown in FIG. 6 wherein, instead of a dowel such as shown at 42 in FIG. 5, a lag screw 50 is provided which is screwed into the respective frame member 26. A spacer member 51 is provided to space the mounting rail from the side frame member. Typically this spacing may be about three-eighths inch.

ln assembling the construction shown the framework 11 or 12, as the case may be, is formed in the usual manner and prior to after it is formed the mounting rails 36 are installed in the manner shown in FIG. 5 or FIG. 6. Then the straps 35 are applied. If these straps are elastic they may be stretched so that after they are mounted on the hooks 39 of the mounting rails 36 they will be taut. However, it is preferred to use a material such as the aforesaid vinyl material which has the property of being readily stretched when heated and which contracts when cooled to ambient temperature. The straps 35 are heated sufficiently to be capable of easy stretching, they are then stretched and mounted in the manner indicated and then they are allowed to cool so as to become taut.

Although the invention has been described with reference to a chaise having rectangular frame members, it will be apparent that the invention is equally applicaand attractive seating or reclining structure has been provided which is easy and economical to assemble, attractive in appearance, comfortable and durable.

I claim:

l. A seating-reclining structure comprising a frame having a pair of spaced, opposing side members; a mounting rail for each side member affixed to its respective side member on that side of such member facing the other side member, each said rail being spaced from its side member to permit insertion-and removal of the ends of straps, each said mounting rail having at its lower edge a plurality of spaced, projecting fingers adapted to receive openings in the ends of straps; said structure also comprising a plurality of straps made of a plastic material which stretches in length when heated and contracts when cooled, each such strap having an opening at each end adapted to receive one of said fingers; each said strap being mounted by means of such openings on a pair of such fingers one of which is on one of said mounting rails and the other is on the other of said rails.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said fingers project inwardly.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein such side members are of wood construction.

4. The structure of claim 1 comprising a bottom seating portion and a back rest portion each constructed as in claim 1. 

1. A seating-reclining structure comprising a frame having a pair of spaced, opposing side members; a mounting rail for each side member affixed to its respective side member on that side of such member facing the other side member, each said rail being spaced from its side member to permit insertion and removal of the ends of straps, each said mounting rail having at its lower edge a plurality of spaced, projecting fingers adapted to receive openings in the ends of straps; said structure also comprising a plurality of straps made of a plastic material which stretches in length when heated and contracts when cooled, each such strap having an opening at each end adapted to receive one of said fingers; each said strap being mounted by means of such openings on a pair of such fingers one of which is on one of said mounting rails and the other is on the other of said rails.
 2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said fingers project inwardly.
 3. The structure of claim 1 wherein such side members are of wood construction.
 4. The structure of claim 1 comprising a bottom seating portion and a back rest portion each constructed as in claim
 1. 